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You are here: Home / Archives for ferry

Three Great Day Trips by Ferry

December 6, 2011 By Jillian

Sure, plenty of the world’s major cities have great boat tours.  Usually involving some sort of lunch or dinner, these mini-cruises taken in the sights and potentially the sounds of a city.  There’s nothing like the skyline from the water people say.  Me, I prefer full day trips by boat, places where a ferry takes me that aren’t just sightseeing tours.   Places that are a destination in and of themselves, if only for a day.

Seattle – San Juan Islands

Take an easy day trip from Seattle to the San Juan Islands.  A popular destination for sea kayaking and whale watching, the islands are actually home to a resident pod of Orca whales.  The archipelago is actually comprised of over 170 islands, some of which just have one or two trees!    Popular Friday Harbor is also home to the Front Street Ale House, a local brewing company that serves a long list of its own brews, including Ale Diablo.

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If You Go: With the public ferry from Seattle you can access six of the islands.  Friday harbor is a good first stop, from there you can book whale watching trips, rent kayaks or go to the whale museum.

Istanbul- Princes’ Islands

When you first get off the ferry at Büyükada (big island) you’ll find the island crowded.  The small downtown area hosts several shops and restaurants and in the summer local tourists are out en force.  We bought supplies for a picnic and headed up the hill through the streets of Victorian homes to a park.  No vehicles are allowed, so all the traffic is on foot or in carraiges. The islands are so named because royalty throughout the centuries were exiled there, starting with the  Byzantine period through the Ottomans.  Today it’s a lovely break from the hustle and bustle of Istanbul.  There’s a small swimming beach, but avoid going at the height of the day when it’s assured to be crowded.

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If You Go: There are fast and slow public ferry’s from Istanbul.  Do NOT forget to check departure times and be there well in advance.  The last ferry’s fill up quickly and sometimes you can be out of luck.  Also note that the ferries are often cancelled due to high winds or storms, so check the weather report before you go!

Naples- Ischia Island

Naples is chaotic, crowded and dirty and yet it’s hard to resist spending at least a few days exploring the destroyed ancient cities of nearby Pompeii and Herculaneum.  From Naples, it’s a nice daytrip to the volcanic island of Ischia.  Less touristy than Capri, it’s known for thermal pools and gardens.  Most tourists spend their time “taking in” the waters, but there is also a castle and beaches to visit.

Ischia from the ferry boat #8

If You Go: From Naples catch the ferry from Napoli Beverello.  It will probably make three stops, check with the captain or crew to find out which one is best for you!

Photo Credit: San Juan Islands and Princes’ Island via IShouldLogOff and Ischia via flickr user Chiara Marra under a creative commons license.

Filed Under: Destinations, Headline Tagged With: boat, day trips, ferry, transportation

Baja Ferries La Paz- Topolombampo

March 24, 2009 By Jillian

The trip across the Sea of Cortez from La Paz with Baja Ferries was simple and pleasant. We had been warned to arrive at the ferry early and to be prepared for extensive security searches (Baja is an entry point for a large quantity of drugs headed into Mexico and the USA) however this did not materialize for us no the other passengers without cars. We were ushered onto the ferry quickly and found a comfortable place to sit for the 6 hour journey.[ad#final-review-ad]

The ferry itself was much larger than I expected as it was once a cruise ship. While the ship had been renovated for use as a ferry, the passenger area still reflected its past with a disco, theater, restaurants, gift shops, and lobby area. For our comfort several movies were played and we were able to roam around freely as though it was a cruise. For an additional fee, a private cabin could be rented although this was hardly necessary for our afternoon trip; had we been traveling in the reverse direction we may have considered this but given the amount of space on the boat it still would not have been necessary.

The biggest negative point I have to make is that the ferry is extremely expensive. At three times the rate of a comparable first class bus ride (without driving a car aboard) the ferry should have a variety of amenities beyond the bus but at its base it is merely another form of transportation. Still, it is the cheapest and most direct way from Baja to mainland Mexico.

In total the trip lasted just over 6 hours and save for watching a group of Mexican truck drivers giggle while watching Shrek, was uneventful. Upon arrival in Topolobambo the bus was easy enough to locate and charged 30 pesos for the trip to Los Mochis. Arriving in Los Mochis at 11pm was not problematic at all.

Filed Under: Mexico, Reviews Tagged With: baja, ferry, transportation

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